Digital pulse-timing technique for the neutron detector array NEDA

WOS: 000348040900011
A new digital pulse-timing algorithm, to be used with the future neutron detector array NEDA, has been developed and tested. The time resolution of four 5 in diameter photomultiplier tubes (XP4512, R4144, R11833-100, and ET9390-kb), coupled to a cylindrical 5 in by 5 in BC501A liquict scintillator detector was measured by employing digital sampling electronics and a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) algorithm. The zero crossing of the CM algorithm was obtained with a cubic spline interpolation, which was continuous up to the second derivative. The performance of the algorithm was studied at sampling rates of 500 MS/s and 200 MS/s. The time resolution obtained with the digital electronics was compared to the values acquired with a standard analog CFD. The result of this comparison shows that the time resolution from the analog and the digital measurements at 500 MS/s and at 200 MS/s are within 15% for all the tested photomultiplier tubes. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Generalitat Valenciana, Spain [PROMETEO/2010/101, PROMETEO/2014/019]; MINECO, Spain [AIC-D-2011-0746, FPA2011-29854, FPA2012-33560]; STFC, UK; Swedish Research Council; Science and Technology Facilities Council [ST/L005727/1, ST/L005735/1, ST/J000124/1]
Work partially supported by the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under grant PROMETEO/2010/101 and PROMETEO/2014/019, by MINECO, Spain, under grants AIC-D-2011-0746, FPA2011-29854 and FPA2012-33560, by the STFC, UK and by the Swedish Research Council.